Button sewing machine



June 19, 1945. REE'CE BUTTON SEWING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 26, 1940 F' 1 INVEN-FBR:

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4 shets-sht 2 Y 44 4. }F- H F.' A. REECE BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March 26, 1940 June 19, 1945.

June-E19, '1945. F. A. REECE BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March 26, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I INvN-FuR w QQM;

June 19, 1945. F. A. REECE BUTTON SEWING MACHINE OI iginal Filed March 26, 1940 4 Sheets-:Sheet 4 IANVEN+D R E Q. (2 l VL QJM Patented June 19, 1945 2,378,656 i "jn'ti'r'roN SEWING MACHINE Franklin A; Reece, Brookline, Mass. Original applicationMarch 2c, 1940, Serial NoQ "325,983. Divided and this application January 9, 1943, Serial No. 471,861 g I v TV 12 Claims. (Cl.'112'112) I ,This invention relates 'tobutton sewing machines'and the presentapplicationis a division of, a prior,;application filed March 26, 1940, Serial No. 325,983. 1

More. particularly, the invention relatestte rnachines forsewing on substantially flat buttons having perforations or holes through which the attaching thread is passed, especially, although notv exclusively, fourf-hole buttons, that is to say, buttons having two pairsof holes and'which are attached by two, groups cof stitches passing,

respectively, through the several pairs of; holes. In one type of machine for sewing four-holebuttons, it has heretofore been customaryto impart to the needle a lateral jogging motion (in addition'to its vertical reciprocatien) inorder to cause t to Pa a m t t s the. hq esgq one pail, after-which the work is shifted horizontally in a direction transverse to that ofthejogging motion to bring the other pair of hole sillto position for cooperation: with the needle. In another type of machine,' the'needl'e is caused. to reciproeat inafixed path and both the lateral jogging and longitudinal shifting movements are impartedto the work. Both' typesof'inach'ines re- .quire the provision of work 'clarhpsKincluding members engaging the work both above and below) andinstrurhntalities for moving'th same, and in 'alllsuch mfachinesi'of whichI' am aware 'it'has beennecessary to locate these instrumentalitiesfat leastin part, in thespace between the overhanging'farm or head and" the bed of the machine, or beneath said bed, or both thereby obstructing the space available for'tli'e 'reception or the work and making it dificult, if not impossible to attach buttonsIe'lsewhere' than closely adjacent the edge'o'f the material, as wellas making "difflcult and inconvenient the adjustments necessary to varying requirements. Moreover',,the location'of the work moving instrumentalitiesbeneath' the bed requires a work supporting element of heavy construction and irregular form, as hereinafter further pointed out, which interferes with the convenient positioning 1 of the work. 'These difliculties are also characteristic, to. some extent at least, of-machines for sewing two hole buttons 'in which the lateral jogging movements are impartedtothe work. r v l The presentinvention has for its object to overcome this difficulty by providing a work clamp and operating mechanism therefor of such character that all of its parts can be so located a to be readily accessible foradjustment or otherwise without disturbing the work and-leave betwe n th ir s ir o ih m 'h i jrii eahstructed space wherein a considerable quantity of goods can be gathered, thereby making it' possible to attach a button (for example, a pocket or trimming buttonl at a considerable distance from the edgeof the goods, and otherwise tofaecilitate the initial positioningand subsequent rearrangement of the work.

The invention willb st be understood froin the following description of ,a preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, this, however, havingpeen chosen for purposesof exemplification merely, as itwill be obvious that the invention, as defined bythe claims hereunto appended, can be otherwise embodied and used T s a -B d e i .4 In saiddrawingsr.

withoutdeparture from. the spirit and scope ,Fi 1, is ,aI-view, partly in side elevation and ra ny inlongitudinal verticalsection, of a button sewing machin-havingthe invention incorporatedtherein'i" pmfilitof the cam for causir' g the needle'to'p'ass successively through two holesin the button. "j 5 Fig; 2 is a front elevation partly broken away.

Fig.".3 is a 'horizori'tal'seotiori taken substantially on the line 3+3 of Fig.1. Fig, 41s aTvertical section[taken substantially on the line 4-.-.4, Fig; 1.

, Fig 5 isa'fragrnentaryhorizontal section taken substantiallyon th'eline 5.--5','Fig. 4. Thejinvention herein shown as incorporated ii'n a button sewing machine the frame of which mprises a hol ow base 20' Fig; 1) and a hollow Jsi tcningjn a including an upright portion 2| ,and' an overhanging arm 22;" giournallecl in bearmes in'the arm 22 is a main',,or"stitcnmg shaft 23,;a'dap'ted tobe]driven from any convenient source of powe through a belt pulley 24 under the control of suitable automatic stop mechanism which may be substant ally as fully described, in

r application'fieriailvo, 325,:i53,jabove referredto,

but which constitutes no part of the present in- ,vention. Mounted: rorfvertical reciprocation in theforwardend of ,the'arm Z2 is aneedle bario carryinglaneedl 2o,fl s;aid needle bar being reciprocatedby the'shaft Ze'through Suitable connections, 'generallyindicated ,at Z'l, and herein shown as" of the tyi eidescribed' in the Reece .Pat-

erit'. No.fZ,'l93,344,, March i2, 19%... Qo'operating with'the needleiliis a rotary looperor. hook 2a c rr e by a; looper shaft :29 journailed in bearings, in thebase Z0 and driven from the Inain.

shaft '23' by suitable poweritransinitting; means,

hereinshown as a link belt'or sprocket chain.

The rotary hook or looper may be of any usual form but as shown is of the ring type described in the Kohler and Lachman Patent No. 393,766, December 4, 1888, and supported and driven by devices such as those shown in the Bolton Patent No. 376,364, January 10, 1888.

The work plate 3| (which is located adjacent the top-of the bedf), for supporting the work W for the attachment of a button B, forms the lower, forwardly extending, horizontally disposed arm of a U-shaped clamp frame or yoke 32. The upper, overhanging, and likewise horizontally disposed and forwardly extending armfillrofthe frame 32 has a forward end portion 32min which is guided a spring pressed presser foot bar 33 carrying at its lower end "abutto'n clamp, generally indicated at 34. the frame 32 is provided with a lug 35 secured to a rock shaft 36 mounted to oscillate Tend-move axially in bearings 31 depending from the over- "hanging machine frame arm '22. Oscillation or "said shaft produces a-lateral vibration of the frame -32 "to cause the needle 26 "topas "succesthe'bell crank '38 is'connected-by a link ll "with a lever 42 pivoted at 43 in the arm 22 and-having a cam follower 44 alternatively -engagea'ble through openings 45 in 'said lever-with cam -grooves'lli "and 41 inthe sideof a;- cam"48.- The link-4 l is connected with the arm" 40 a pivot 49 longitudinally adjustable in-anarcuate'slot 50*in 'the'arm-41l, whereby-the "amplitude'offvi- -bration "of the "frame '32 produced the cam rooves 46 and 41 may be varied'imaccordanc'e with the'spacingof 'fthefholes in the button;

The cam'"48 is 'formed'with'a wormgear (Figs. 3 and 4) meshing with aifi on' the shaft "23,"the "gear ratio in "the present instance being 24 to 1, so that.the"cam"makes "one "comrplete "rotation 'for *each""24 "reciprocations" or' thrusts of the "needle, conveniently referredto as stitches. As shown most'clearly in Fig; 1a, each of the camgroovesio anwfl comprises sinuous portions $1 'of 'suchformas topause'the Workand button holder't'o be moved alternately in "opposite directions at "each "reciprocation; "or between "successive "thrusts, of the needle, said sinuous "portions "being interrupted by straight "portions 58 to cause the needle to pass twice,

or make two thrusts, through the "same hole in "thebutton' toform atyi'ns stitch." In'the "constructi'on' shown, the cam groove loinoludes two straight portions 58 spaced "180 apart to "cause a tying stitch t be "formed during the last'two or each "twelve "reciprocations or "thrusts "of the needle, thereby producing what "may "conven iently be calleda twelve-stitch group," including 'a'nd'completed by atyin'g'"stitoh;while*the cam groove "41" includes threestralght'portions spacer! The upper'arm 3111 or.

120 apart to causes. tying "stitch-to be'formed "during the lasttwo -of eacheightreciprocations or thrusts ofthe needle, thereby-producing an eight-stitchgroupdikewise including anu completed byatying'stit'ch;

The rock shaft '46 is moved longitudinally "to position the work for sewing through the several pairs of holes of a four hole button by means of a lever 63 (Figs. 1 and 5) having at its end a stud 64 engaging a circumferentially elongated opening in a collar 65 secured to said shaft 36. The lever 63 carries intermediate its ends a cam follower 66 adapted to engage a groove 6'! in a cam 68 rotated from the cam 48 as hereinafter more particularly described. The cam groove 67 comprises two radially ofiset portions of equal length so that the work will be shifted from one pair of holes to the other in one direction or the other at each 180 movement of the camtB. The lever 63 is fulcrumed on a stud 69 adjustable longitudinally of the lever to vary the axial movement imparted to the rock shaft 3'6in accordance with the spacing of the pairs of holes in the button. The cam follower 66 comprises a pin slidably mounted in the lever 63and connected by a lever Ill (see also Fig. 2) with a second similar pin H adapted to engage anopening in a lug 1'3 projecting inwardly-from the frame and provided externally of the latter with an operating handle 12. By :operating the handle 12 the cam follower 66 can be withdrawn from the cam groove'fi'l and the lever fi3'locked receive-a sliding key I03 'movable intoupper and lower positions in either of whichit isrem'o'vably heldby a spring-pressed locking pin PM adaptedto engage apertures therein. When in its upper position, shown in Fig. '4, the 'key Hi3 engages a key-way I06 formed intheinterior of the cam 48, so that the'shaft 95*and cam 68' carried thereby are rotated directlyby and in unison with the cam 48., When the key I03 is in its lower position, it engages a key-way H11 "in a, .gear I08 *rotatablymounted on 'thesh'aft liii'in'a'recess 109 in the cam 48. f'Ihe-gear'i'llii is formed with'internal'teeth |l0"meshing with a pinion HI journalled in the cam'48'andconheated for rotation in unison with a 'coaxial pinion I l2 likewise journalled in said-cam and meshing with a fixed pinion il3, .securedftonr formed integral with the sleeve 91. 'TheJgear "I08 and pinions III, I I2 andfl'l3"constitute3 t0 2 gearing connecting the cams "4'8 and 88, :so that when the parts are so connected, thef'shaft '95 and cam 68'will make one complete rotation 'foreachmovement of 240 of'the cam 48. "When the cam'follower 44, Fig. 2', is engaged withfthe cam groove 46, Fig. 1a, of the ."camf48,"the cams 4'8 and "68 will be directly. connected, through the shaft 95'and key I83, for rotationin-unison,

so as to oause'alongitudinal shift .of the. work clamp at each rotation lof 180 of theJcam 48, and when the cam 'follower'44'is engaged with the cam groove 41', the oam'BB will beconnected with the cam 48 .throughthe-Sf to-Zgearinggdescribed, so as to cause a longitudinalhif-t .of

the work clamp at each rotation of :the cam 48. 1

It will beseen that, in accordance with-the invention as above described, all ,of'the. mechanism .for producing; the required movements 'of the work clamp assembly, including the adjustable between successive sewing operations.

--a.=needle andme'ans forirecip'rocating. thezsame portions'tlnereof,'is associated with the overhangin-isaid arm towardand fromisaid bed,-a5substa'n- "ingarm '22 and is well above the bed 20, which, in connection with the U-shaped form ofthe frame or yoke '32, leaves a largeand entirely unobstructed space A between the arm 22 and bed at the rear of the combined'presserfootand button clamp'34, so that a considerable quantity of the materialW can be rolledor folded into said space,permitting positioning, on the work plate '3l' and beneath the presser foot, of a portion of the work quite remote from the edges thereof.

"tia'lly Lleshapedrwork clamp frameloryokewhav ing When,-'as=in prior machines, the means for moving the :clamp, including the portions which require adjustment to. varythe amplitude of movement in accordance with the button being -sewn,--.=arellocated even in part, beneath the bed, the necessary adjustments are diflicult and inconvenient and involveinterference with the work. In'accordance with the present invention, by a'ss'ociating the clamp moving means wholly with the overhanging arm, and thereby locating the same wholly above the bed and work, the :construction ais simplified, itsadjustment facilitated, and disturbance of the work avoided. This, in turn, is made possible by supporting the work lclampingmeans as a unit from the overhanging arm wherebyit can be wholly operated from the latter and is entirely free from any connection with the bed. Also,- in machines having work moving instrumentalities located beneath the bed; it is'necessary to connect such instrumentalities with the lower or work supporting element ofthe'work clamp which, in turn, in order .to proa work supporting element of heavy construction and irregular shape, making relatively diflicult the insertion of the work and its rearrangement By supporting the entire work clamping assembly from the overhanging arm and associating all Of its operating instrumentalities with the latter, in

accordance with the present invention, the work supporting plate 3| is subjected to no operating strains, requires no direct connection with any of the operating instrumentalities, and can be made quite thin and flat, permitting the work wide thenec'essarystrength and rigidity, requires to lie substantially flat on the bed throughout and greatly facilitating its positioning.

I claim:

1. In a button sewing machine, a frame com-, prising a bed and an-overhanging arm, a needle and means for reciprocating the same in said arm toward and from said bed, means for clamping the work adjacent said bed, and means substantially wholly associated with said overhanging arm and located wholly above said bed' for moving'said work clamping means in twodirections transverse to one another'to change the position of the work with respect to the path of movement of said needle. I

2. In a button sewing machine a frame comprising a bed and an overhanging arm, a needle, means for reciprocating the same longitudinally, a substantially U-shaped work clamp frame or yoke, one of the arms of'saidclamp frame constituting a work plate and the other being sup- I $.14. In .a .button sewing t-machine, a -.machine frame comprising a bed and anoverhanging arm,

.a needle and means for reciprocating .the same in, said arm toward and from said. bed,: a-su-bstam tiallyz ,:U :shaped; work; clamp frame. .or yoke .having alower arm adjacent said-bedsjand constitut- .ing a .work plate; and annupper; arm adjacent to said overhanging .arm,;=a presser foot; carried by the upper arm of said clamp-frame; andmovable toward said workplate to: clamp the work, a rock shafttowhich saidupper clamp frame arm is secured, bearings carried by said overhanging arm and in which said rock-shaft; is mounted to oscillate and move-axially, and mechanism associated with said overhanging arm for oscillating and axially moving said rockshafth I 5.. In a buttonsewing machine, a frame comprising a bed and an overhanging arm, aneedle and means-.for-reciprocating the same: in said arm toward and fromsaid bed,'meansfor clamping I the, .Work adjacent said bed, and means associated; with said overhanging arm for moving said work clamping means in two directions transverse to one'another to change the positionof thework with respect to the path of movement of said needle, said last named means including means, located in said overhanging arm, for varying the amplitude, of movement of said work clamping means in both directions.

6. In a button sewing machine, a frame comprising a bed and an overhanging arm, a needle and means for reciprocating the same in said arm toward and from said bed, work holding means supported as a unit from'said overhanging arm and including means adjacent said bed for clamping the work to which a button is to be attached and for holding a button and positioning the same with respect to said work, and means associated with said overhanging arm and located wholly above said bed for moving said work holding means as a unit to change the position of-the work and button with respect to the path of movement of said needle.

7. In a button sewing machine, a frame comprising a bed and an overhanging arm, a needle and means for reciprocating the same in said arm toward and from said bed," work holding means supported as a unit from said overhanging arm 7 and including means adjacent said bed for clamping the work to which a button is to be attached and for holding a button and positioning the same with respect to said work, and means substantially wholly associated with said overhanging arm for moving said work holding means as a unit to change the position of the work and button with respect to the path of movement of said needle.

8. In a button sewing machine, a framecomprising a bed and an overhanging arm, a needle and means for reciprocating the same in said arm toward and from the bed, work holding means including means adjacent said bed for clamping the work to which a button is to be attached and. 

